Search form

Search form

Learn More

From HP's Famous Garage to Today's Modern Makerspace

This is the garage where HP began – where Silicon Valley was born.

If you have never heard the story, in 1938 Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard – graduates of Stanford University – used their combined savings of $538 to fund their startup in the one-car garage of a rental house in Palo Alto. They built oscillators that Walt Disney used to test and certify theater sound systems for Fantasia, the first major film released in stereophonic sound. In true innovator style, Bill and Dave used the kitchen oven to bake the paint onto the oscillator panels. (Lucile Packard claimed her roast beef never tasted right after that.)

Changed the world

From this humble makerspace came not only a parade of new technologies, but also a mindset and corporate culture that changed technology development and business creation around the world. As we enter a new era of open product development, every division of HP Inc. is looking for ways to open up and help you apply your ideas and creativity to a new set of possibilities.

In a virtual way, the HP Garage is still open. On our worldwide Developers' Portal, the API tools are always unlocked. Come on in and Make Something Real!

HP's Developer Portal

A single place for developers inside and out.

HP was built on hardware – electronic, computer and printer hardware. But in this new era of apps, HP product developers understand the value of software and cloud-based APIs. In the decades to come, HP products will combine the best of hardware with the best of software and APIs, employing Machine Learning, Big Data, and AI.

At hp.ioyou will find our growing portfolio of HP APIs. As teams roll out products, the portal will serve as a hub for software communities, with forums, news and blogs.

We invite you to help us build out this portal. At hp.io you can be more than an early adopter — you can be an original contributor. You can establish yourself as a community founder and take an active role in enriching our forums.

A hub for open product development

HP divisions around the world are working to reinvent their processes using an open platform approach. This won't happen overnight. It will take time to unlock tools to external developers. Watch our blog for alerts to new opportunities in 3D printing, immersive computing, and the Internet of Things.

Glade Diviney
Glade Diviney is one of HP's experts in mobile printing. He played a key role in getting mobile printing put into Android Oreo as a native service. If you tap a Print button on an Android app, you may be using Glade's code to get what you want from your phone to your printer.

Start Making

Live Savannah

Check out the app that students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) created with Link Technology.